[62caddy]

Interesting article. My overall take is that tube equipment is generally preferred in applications involving two basic factors: Clipping and amplified musical instruments. Only in specific types of music are the results of clipping desirable - the effects of which are part of the intended musical expression itself.

However, these effects would almost never be desirable in the mastering/recording process using nonamplified (acoustic) instruments.

For playback however, clipping is never desirable under any circumstances, regardless of equipment type. Therefore, the advantage of tubes for playback becomes a bit murkier.

I'm reminded of a story from @mrz80(?) a/k/a Bruce McIntosh, grandson of McIntosh founder Frank H. It was Bruce's 18th birthday (or thereabouts) and the old man was going treat him to a birthday gift of Bruce's choosing.

The destination was a guitar store that also carried guitar amplification equipment and associated electronics. Bruce wanted a device that artificially mimicked the effects of clipping. Upon realizing the device's intended purpose, the old man was almost in disbelief: "I've spent my whole life trying to eliminate distortion from equipment and you want something that puts distortion in?" (Or something to that effect.) I got a chuckle out of that.